Good points here by Mono...just wanted to weigh in on a couple.
 
Scott Monaghan <[log in to unmask]> writes:
>
> Actually,  what is needed here right now is a little common sense and
> cooperation between--at the least--the two western leagues.
>
> A committee on expansion should be formed between the WCHA and CCHA
> (and,  ideally,  all four leagues) and criteria established for adding
> teams to 1.  Division I hockey;  and 2.  Conferences.
 
I like the idea but each conference is going to have its own reasons for
wanting to expand.  At the same time, remembering back to the cooperation
that led to each of the western leagues accepting an Alaska school, I do
think that people need to talk about this issue.
 
The other aspect of this is that well, anyone can go D1 if they want to as
long as they follow the rules.  I think what you're saying is that the
schools that are adding or about to add D1 hockey need to understand just
what they are getting into.  We hear a lot about this school or that one
thinking about going D1 and how they'd like to be part of this league or
that one.  But what if they do not get into that league (or any league)?
 
The last thing we want to see is a school make the effort and investment to
play D1 hockey and then not wind up where they want to.  But here I think
the burden is really on those schools to decide their goals and accurately
assess their chance of reaching them.  The conferences can help by giving
them an accurate view of their chances of admission.  I can certainly see
how a school may receive favorable input from, say, a school or group of
schools in a conference and even the conference administration, but then
find out that the conference membership as a whole is not as excited about
admitting them.
 
In terms of criteria, it seems that Hockey East has pretty much decided
that it wants to expand but wishes to do so within New England.  They have
reasons for that and while they can be debated, it is still good that they
seem to have at least to some extent outlined the direction in which they
want to go.
 
> If the CCHA
> admits Omaha (and mind you, it sounds like a great program),  it will be
> moving out in yet another direction outside it's proverbial
> "footprint".  That further elevates costs,  expends more travel time
> (and missed school),  and hurts gate (obviously not for Omaha,  but what
> are they going to draw at Ferris or Northern?,  whereas at least,
> there's some brand identity with schools like North Dakota in the W).
>
> Right now,  the hodgepodge,  money-grab by the various leagues is a
> little obvious--and not too smart in the long term.
 
Maybe.  It really depends on what the league's goal is.  I certainly agree
that UNO is likely to draw well at home whichever league it is in, while on
the road it is questionable as to what kind of draw they will be.
 
The key here is that as you say below,
 
> As a side note,  NO school is owed membership in any conference just by
> declaring "Division I".  And no conference is obligated to take a school
> in just because it goes Division I.  A smart University would have its
> ducks in a row as to conference membership prior to making the jump,
> IMHO.
 
The problem is that we all want the sport to grow and we also want to do
what we can to help schools that want to be part of that growth.  But for
whatever reason, it may not make sense for a given conference to admit
someone.  So you have these conflicting desires and it does make things
difficult.
 
Whether it be UNO or anyone else, I certainly agree that no one is owed
anything.  And it would be wrong for a school to feel as if they are.  For
example, if the CCHA were to admit UNO, an appropriate question would be,
are they doing it because they believe it is in their best interests or
because of a sense of duty and desire to help another program?  And are
these conflicting interests?
 
> In a more broad vein,  and from a developmental aspect,  are we adding
> far too many "Division I" teams,  without acutally having the "Division
> I" players?  I think the answer is yes.
 
I'm guessing you're referring to programs that would be shooting for
admission to one of the four established conferences.  That's a good
question and one that I waver on.  But at the same time, if we're just
talking about D1, then there does seem to be a definite place for a league
like the MAAC.  With all of the talk about Mankato, UNO, Niagara, etc., the
truth is that the most growth in D1 hockey we have seen has been because of
the MAAC -- 8 new teams this year and 2 more in 1999.  We've talked about
the MAAC before and why it makes sense for a lot of schools for a lot of
reasons.  And I don't think it will result in a watering down of D1 hockey
in general.
 
But for some of the schools we're talking about, the MAAC or a similar
conference out West (if one were to be formed) may not fit in with where
they want to go.  And there may not be a home for them where they would
like to be.  That is very unfortunate but I have the feeling that in some
cases, it's going to wind up that way.
 
I think you have to have a contingency plan that you are comfortable with.
What will UNO do if it is not admitted by either the WCHA or CCHA?  That's
not something I'd expect them to make public, because obviously the
CCHA/WCHA is their goal, but hopefully it is something that they have
thought of and are ready to put into action.
 
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                [log in to unmask]               *HMM* 11/13/93
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